Picnics and Promises at Strawberry Fields

Birch Tree Farrm #2

by Victoria Walters

It's the last place Daisy Connor expects to spend her wedding day, but after ditching her fiancé at the altar, she’s fled to Birch Tree Farm for some much-needed thinking room. Her cousin Willow's farmhouse is the last place Daisy truly remembers being happy – and herself.

Blake Daniels is nursing his own broken heart after discovering his girlfriend’s betrayal, and he’s retreated to the same quiet farm for solitude, hoping to figure out his next move.

With the strawberry pick-your-own season upcoming, there's no shortage of things to do to keep their anxious minds distracted – and if the success of Willow's pumpkin patch is anything to go by, there'll be plenty of visitors coming expecting something magical.

The last people Daisy and Blake expect to see are their exes, turning up uninvited, demanding answers. It's a split-second decision, but it seems to make sense at the time: if Daisy and Blake fake a relationship, it'll get the two of them off their backs. But what starts as a harmless cover story soon gets complicated. And as sparks fly, lines begin to blur. Is this just pretend, or could something real be growing between them?

Genres: Romance

274 pages, Paperback

First published January 3, 2026

About the author

Victoria Walters is a full-time author living in Surrey. Victoria writes sweet and spicy rom coms including the BookTok viral hits THE LOVE INTEREST, THE PLOT TWIST and THE PARIS CHAPTER. She used to work in publishing and a bookshop, and has been a bookworm since childhood.

Victoria is also the author of the bestselling uplifting and romantic series GLENDALE HALL and the cosy crime series THE DEDLEY END MYSTERIES. Find out more about her by following on Instagram at @vickyjwalters, on X at @Vicky_Walters or on Facebook and TikTok at Victoria Walters author.

Her new grumpy/sunshine spicy romance LONG STORY SHORT is out now.

Reviews

[Liz | lizzuplans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute but only an OK read and not engaging enough.

In summary, there was too much book for too little story.

While I enjoyed the Hallmark vibes and farm-life small-town aesthetic, everything felt a bit too simple and feelgood (meant in not a good way). A caricature of a romance read.

I was not invested in Daisy and Blake’s relationship with each other, nor in theirs with others.
Their romantic scenes felt rushed and not in character. When they got together at about 30-40% of the book and I still had so much to read, I knew that it would be slow or painful. It unfortunately was both for me.

The writing style was thankfully better than the other book in this series. At times I did still noticed too much tell don’t show (not great) and a few instances of ‘then we did x, then we did y, and then we did z’, which could have been taken out with some editing.
I scanned most of this one, as I did want to know what happened, but was not locked in enough to really read.

Also, please no shorts for men. Ew.

I would say it is not possible to read this book as a standalone– book one of this series was referenced often and I was surprised how much Willow and Dylan, the FMC and MMC of that book, were featured.

A very small 3 stars, mostly for the cute cover, dog Maple, and ponies Blossom and Jasmine.
I shall probably still read the next one in this series, as I am weak and am a sucker for cute illustrations and seasonal reads.

Thank you to Boldwood Books for inviting me to read this book!

I received an ARC of this book (thanks!) and these are my own opinions.

[Amileigh Hodges · Rating 5 out of 5]

3rd book is pre ordered love the first and loved this one great cosy reads

[Thania Molina · Rating 1 out of 5]

It felt like the author was trying like hell to stretch the story, but there wasn’t enough substance to actually stretch it or keep it moving forward. Plus, all the characters lacked depth. Instead of showing us the inner turmoil the characters were experiencing, she just kept repeating the same thoughts over and over. I’m guessing she was hoping it would make us feel invested in them, but it had the opposite effect; I found them all to be boring and lacking. And please, stop having lead male characters use the phrase “Good girl” during a sex scene. It’s creepy as fuck. In short, I had to force myself to finish this one.

[Madi Bullock · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was a letdown after reading the first in the series. As I read it, I wondered what went wrong! It almost feels like AI was used to write this book, and it TOOK ME OUT of the cozy romance experience when one of the main characters is making an app using AI?! Like girl. I do not read a cozy book to be reminded of AI and how our world is going. Also…. Why did the characters suddenly become British? I literally had to look back at the first book to realize the use of certain terms for the truck of a car or ‘mum’ instead of ‘mom’ were used for the family that owns a farm in what was established as a quaint, nondescript small town. It was a let down and I only finished it because everything plot wise was wrapped up 70% through the book and I wondered what else was going to happen.

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

3🌟

[VickydpBooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Perfect for fans of Laurie Gilmore, Elsie Silver and Lucy Score 🌻💖
Every book in the Birch Tree Farm series can be read as a STANDALONE

This is second book in Birch Tree Farms really good book

you love small-town charm, slow-burn chemistry and second chances, then this heartwarming story is for you!

Tropes:

🍓 Fake dating

🍓 Forced proximity

🍓 Country escape

🍓 Second chances

🍓 Slow burn romance

[Rayo Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for granting my request to read this e-ARC and provide my honest opinion.

I loved being back on Birch Tree Farm! 😍 Both of our MCs are out of tumultuous relationships - our FMC, Daisy, ran from her own wedding, leaving her groom, and our MMC, Blake, caught his girlfriend and business partner cheating on him with 'just a friend'. Their meet cute was a disaster 😅😂 - Blake instantly took a disliking to Daisy and judged her because she arrived on the farm with her wedding dress still on 😅.

Honestly, I wanted more buildup between our characters, more time together... one minute Blake dislikes Daisy, the next minute he's into her and so is she. Before we know it, Daisy's meeting Blake's family. The chemistry between them was something I didn't feel (enough), and the exes... oh my God, they got on my nerves! What was the point of faking a relationship in front of their exes? (cue cringe 😬).

As always, I love the activities on the farm and the community that Birch Tree Farm brings together. Can't wait for the next book in the series! Thank you once again for the e-ARC.

[Claire · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn’t wait to dive into book two of this series, and I was not disappointed! I love how previous characters from book one played a central role in this book and felt I was back at Birch Tree Farm.

This time we see Willow’s cousin Daisy arrive at the farm, on her wedding day, having not got married! Close behind her, arrives Blake, with relationship issues of his own. What follows is a story of misunderstanding, moving on and second chances, all with the lovely back drop of the farm.

The scenery is beautifully described and the characters wonderfully developed. I loved meeting the new characters and seeing them grow throughout the story. The banter and humour between them is wonderful.

I really enjoyed Willow and Daisy’s relationship throughout the book. Having previously been close cousins when younger, it was lovely to see them reconnect and help each other out. It is cleverly written, how the author brings everyone’s storylines together and you will soon be ready to send the ex’s back to where they came from!

So all in all, great characters, great setting and a wonderful, well written storyline. I can’t wait to see what happens next at Birch Tree Farm.

[PrincessStitchy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Picnic and Promises at Strawberry Fields by Victoria Walters

I read the first book in this series as an arc and loved it so was very excited to revisit Willow, Dylan, her dad and not forgetting Maple!

Gosh poor Daisy she just wanted the family life after her parents were tragically taken from her in a car accident she had morphed so well into Henry's perfect GF she wasnt even herself anymore.

Then she bumps into Blake, well don't we like to be judgemental hey Blake!

Well until we meet Henry, Sarah and Henry's dad! Put them in the bin!!

What a fun hallmark read! The perfect book when you want something emotional but you know there's that Happy Ever After coming 💓💫

[Bookishgirl75 🍁📚❄️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

2nd book in The Birch Tree Farm series . Picnics & Promises brings Daisy to the farm to carve out her new life and and finds love in the process . Another enjoyable read from VW, and I look forward to my next installment that’s already on order .

[Harriet Jenkins · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a slog to get through.

I enjoyed book 1 and so I was excited to.go back to the farm.

The book could have easily been half the size and delivered the same punch. It just felt like there was a word count that needed to be met and I really ended up disliking Daisy and Blake by the end

[Donna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it. Such a heartwarming wholesome story

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 stars

[Sara-Jane Keenan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Daisy and Blake end up on Birch Tree Farm after running away from their respective relationships. They both need time to figure out what they want but their exes show up demanding answers. They don’t like each other but they unexpectedly find themselves pretending that they are dating to get their exes off their backs. Cue a slow burn romance with lots of drama.

I did find the story relatable, the doubts, confusion and fear of ending a relationship. The author captured the difficulties of breaking free and starting over again perfectly. That being said though I still found it incredibly frustrating at times and felt like things could have been resolved sooner. The exes were both awful people, which the author did a great job at making them frustrating and unlikeable.

Daisy was also very relatable, I enjoyed her character growth and her journey through self discovery. Blake was handsome, intelligent, caring and protective.

Fake dating is one of my favourite tropes and I was excited that this was in the book. It made sense why they were going to do it but it didn’t really feel like it was necessary in the end because no one believed them anyway so it seemed redundant.

I really loved the setting of this book. Birch Tree Farm sounds gorgeous and I would love to live in a place like that. The pick your own season they were getting ready for sounded like it would be so fun, it’s somewhere I would definitely attend in real life.

The book was easy to read, with a cosy setting and cute animals. There’s mild spice and I enjoyed the slow burn romance. However, I did find it a little too repetitive at times and the characters frustrating so I rate this 3⭐️ 2🌶️

[cakecoffeeandbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️
I really enjoyed book 1 in this series so was looking forward to reading this next installment! It was great to be back at Birch Tree Farm and I was pleased to see so much of Willow again in this story.

Willow’s cousin Daisy leaves her fiance at the alter and heads to Birchbrook to her only family. As she arrives, Blake also turns up to stay with his old friend Dylan (Willow’s boyfriend) but the 2 get off to a frosty start. Once they open up to each other and clear the air they realise they actually have a lot in common with each other, and can support each other.

Both their ex’s turn up a few days later and they pretend to be dating in a bid for them to give them space. I didn’t like either ex and found that storyline became a bit repetitive and frustrating at times.

The fake dating and relationship element of this didn’t really work for me, and as with the previous book I did find the spicier scenes extremely cringy. But I really enjoyed the rest of the story, how they all worked together to create the strawberry trail at the farm and the sense of family and community throughout. I look forward to the next instalment of Birch Tree Farm which looks like it might be festive!

Thank you to the author, Boldwood books and NetGalley for this ARC.

[Caitlin Bunting · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a cosy read this was. I really enjoyed picking this series back up and I loved the character of Daisy she was so well written. Henry on the other hand can do one… I am eager for book 3 to come out later on this year.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recipe for Messy Strawberry Shortcake:
One runaway bride, Daisy
One brokenhearted bloke, Blake
Two bitter exes, Sarah & Henry
One Birch Tree Farm
One busy Strawberry season
A dash of loving relatives, Willow, Dylan, and Uncle Adam
One cute dog, Maple
-
Mix in the bride and the bloke into the farm. Add a dash of loving relatives, and a dash of Maple kisses. Mix well. Turn up the heat with feelings. Stir the meddling exes into the pot. Let simmer for one strawberry season.
-
Makes 4 servings of a delectable disaster.

Picnics and Promises at Strawberry Farms is a continuation of Love and Lattes at Pumpkin Hollow, telling the story of Willow’s cousin Daisy, & Dylan’s friend, Blake. Daisy shows up to Birch Tree Farm in a weddings dress after fleeing her own wedding. Broken-hearted Blake is there nursing his wounds from a bad breakup with Sarah. When their exes show up, they manufacture a fake relationship during a busy strawberry season at the farm.

Victoria Walters does it again with this tale of forced proximity, fake dating, and a country escape. Picnics and Promises at Strawberry Fields is cozy and lighthearted, a perfect story to wind down with. I loved that it revisited Birchwood Farms, where we fell in love with Willow, Dylan, and Maple. Victoria Walters is my go-to for a comforting, feel-good read.

[Gina Dutton · Rating 5 out of 5]

🍓I am so in love with this cozy, all around feel-good small town romance! The slow-burn chemistry is perfect. The setting of the strawberry farm is comforting, heartfelt & easily depicts the healing taking place. It is truly a sweet romance.

🌻Running away from her wedding, Daisy escapes to Birch Tree Farm — the one place she remembers being truly happy & where she can find connection to her family. Believing she has lost herself & unable to get past her fears of loosing security and loneliness she hopes to discover her next steps. Also, hiding out at the farm is Blake. He is hiding out after heartbreak of his own.

🍓Both are hurting, both need space, & neither expects their exes to show up unexpectedly. The only answer is to fake date. Their romance is slow as they heal, reconnect with themselves, and gradually grow closer. Their chemistry is subtle & steady; lines between “pretend” and really start to blur, very quickly yet right.

🌻This book is absolutely worth picking up! A sweet, comforting romance that’s perfect for curling up with and smiling through to the end. I highly recommend it 🍓

[Caroleann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Picnics and Promises at Strawberry Fields by Victoria Walters is a cosy romance set on a small farm, perfect for readers who enjoy gentle stories about fresh starts and close knit communities. Although this is part of a series, I haven’t read the first book and didn’t feel that it took away from my enjoyment or understanding of the story.

One of the aspects I liked the most was the theme of rediscovering family after isolating yourself in an unhappy relationship. That emotional journey felt relatable and well handled, and the warm, comforting setting added to the cosy feel of the book. However, I did find parts of the story quite repetitive, and I think the book could have benefited from being a little shorter with some of those sections trimmed.

While the romance had potential, it felt a bit flat to me overall. I would have loved to see the relationship between the two main characters fleshed out more, as it didn’t quite deliver the emotional spark I was hoping for. Overall, this was a pleasant and comforting read, but it didn’t fully stand out for me

[Ann-Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Daisy left her fiancé on the day of the wedding and fled, still in her wedding dress, to her cousin Willow to find sanctuary and time to sort her feelings out. Arriving at Birch Tree Farm, Willow’s home, she meets Blake, (a friend of Dylan, Willow’s boyfriend) who’s just split up with his girlfriend, and receives a very frosty reception.

Daisy and Blake sort out their misunderstandings and begin to open up to each other about why they both left their partners. To keep themselves busy they help out at the farm, by getting involved in setting up the Strawberry Trail which begins to focus their minds on their futures and what they really want to do with their lives.

Unfortunately, Daisy’s fiancé Henry and Blake’s girlfriend, Sarah, both arrive at the farm a couple of days later, determined to get their respective partners back. It doesn’t go well!

A really enjoyable story with a slow developing romance, misunderstandings and second chances - both for love and reconciliations with family.

Thanks to Net Galley and Boldwood Books for an ARC for my honest review.

[Nicola Penfold · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and boldwood for this arc. This is the second instalment in the Birch Tree Farm series and it’s so much better than the first and I loved the first one.

Daisy leaves her finance at the alter and runs to escape to her cousin Willow at Birch Tree Farm where Dylan’s friend Blake is also staying after his almost fiancé cheated on him.

This book explores so many different coping methods with grief, heartache, loss and emotion and it’s a really touching read.

It’s heavy emotions wrapped in a spring gift of strawberries, naughty ponies, stargazing and flowers.

There is indecision and fear, and as the reader you think it’s obvious what the characters should do but in real life how certain would we be of our decisions, so I thought it was a great representation of real life decisions.

This is a wonderful summer read, perfect for a small town romance lover with fake dating and second chance romance tropes.

Only issue is the amount that Willow goes on about her pumpkin patch 🤣🤣 yes we know it was a success stop going on about it 🤣

[Chloë · Rating 4 out of 5]

4✨

⭑ Publication date: 13th January 2026
⭑ Genre: Romance - Cozy
⭑ Tropes: Country escape, Fake dating, Forced proximity, Second chances, Small town, Slow burn
⭑ For fans of: Laurie Gilmore, Elsie Silver & Lucy Score
⭑ Series: This novel is set in the same village as the other books in the ‘Birch Tree Farm’ series but can be read as a standalone.

✅ If you love small-town charm, slow-burn chemistry and second chances, then this heartwarming story is for you!

~

✧ P L O T ✧

In a bid to escape their nightmarish exes, Daisy & Blake find themselves taking refuge at Birch Tree Farm. With strawberry season approaching, they’re able to keep busy & take a break from their troubling realities. However, it isn’t long before their peace is shattered when the 2 exes they ran from turn up, demanding answers. Impulsively, Daisy & Blake decide that a fake relationship is the answer to all of their problems. But when feelings start to grow & lines begin to blur they’re left facing more questions that they started with.

✧ S U M M A R Y • & • O P I N I O N S ✧

Picnics and Promises at Strawberry Fields is a comedic cozy romance that will leave you feeling warm & content. It delivers a Hallmark-esque love story, small town feel good vibes & a wholesome romance with the perfect amount of spice.

This is Book 2 in the ‘Birch Tree Farm’ series & although I hadn’t read the first instalment, it was still a really enjoyable read. There were references to the previous instalment but I didn’t feel like it affected my reading experience so please don’t be deterred if you haven’t read book 1!

I loved both Daisy & Blake but I felt like the relationship was a bit jumpy. He took an instant dislike to her but that seemingly changed after not much time/interactions between the two. However, their overall story/journey was so sweet. They helped heal one another & grew both individually & together. The heat was great as it didn’t overpower the heart of this book & I really enjoyed the family/found family & tight knit community feel.

✧ F I N A L • T H O U G H T S ✧

I really enjoyed Picnics and Promises at Strawberry Fields! The story inside matched up with the cozy, sweet, summery vibes you get from the cover & it was impossible to not get lost in Daisy & Blake’s rollercoaster of a story. It was engaging, hilarious but heartwarming & I would definitely recommend! ☑️

❣️A huge thank you to NetGalley, Boldwood Books & Victoria Walters for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC. This is my honest opinion & I’m sharing it voluntarily.

[Sukriti · Rating 3 out of 5]

**Book Review (≈ 100 words)**

*Picnics and Promises at Strawberry Fields* by Victoria Walters is a heart-warming small-town romance perfect for fans of summer vibes, second chances, and sweet chemistry. After **Daisy Connor** flees her own wedding and heads to her cousin’s **Birch Tree Farm** for clarity, she meets **Blake Daniels** — also hiding from heartbreak after a betrayal. When their exes show up, Daisy and Blake agree to **fake-date** to make their problems go away. Amid strawberry fields, picnics, and farm life, what starts as a cover story slowly becomes real attraction. With cozy country charm, slow-burn romance, and plenty of sweetness, it’s a feel-good escape about healing and finding love again. ([Victoria Walters][1])

**Tropes & Themes:**
• Fake dating 🍓
• Forced proximity 🍓
• Second chances 🍓
• Country escape 🍓
• Slow-burn chemistry 🍓 ([Victoria Walters][1])

[Katelyn Peel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is perfect for anyone who loves the Gilmore Girls or small town romances. Daisy is Willow’s cousin who ends up leaving her fiancé at the alter when she realizes her whole life is not what she wanted. His family planned it all from the wedding to when they’ll have babies which was not what Daisy wanted. In the same week, Dylan’s friend Blake is visiting to regroup from his breakup when his girlfriend was cheating on Blake and Daisy get off to a rocky start which quickly gets resolved when both exes come to the farm asking for forgiveness.Sarah is under the impression they are together which gives them the idea to pretend until they get the hint and go away. However, this backfired when their true feelings come to light and now both re ending this horrible chapters on a great note of a new love. Through ups and downs, exes and all, the pair finally make it end up together as they should be. The epilogue is my favorite that they both got their happy endings after all!

[Georgie · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5
This was plot-driven, but not in a great way, it was more like it took over the characters like a child playing with dolls. Similar to book 1, the world-building was told to us in a clumsy info-dump way, broken into crumbs. I procrastinated picking this up every time I had to read. The writing felt juvenile - if you took out the sex scenes and aged them down, this would be a good YA book. According to the acknowledgements, this had an editor, a copy editor and a proof reader, which I don't understand, considering the final product. The 3rd act conflict felt weird and clunky, and the characters were 2d.
In summary, the author should try writing for younger audiences, and someone should properly edit this for punctuation, sentence structure, and flow.

Thank you to Boldwood Books for my arc, via Netgalley

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute 2nd in series! I enjoyed meeting Daisy and Blake against the backdrop of Birch Tree Farms. The farm is still charming, Willow and Dylan seem to be doing great, and they're all busy bringing a new pick-your-own event to life.

The runaway bride to fake dating pipeline was fun, and I liked how both Willow and Blake were simultaneously working on disentangling from their exes while finding what they really wanted out of life. Daisy's future endeavors sound wonderful and I would love to see them featured in another installment in the series!

Overall - a cute romance with a charming setting!

[Henriette · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This is such a feel-good small town romance series. Starting this book I was immediately invested in Daisy's story and did not realize it was book 2 set at Birch Tree Farm and it took a bit before I recognized Willow and Dylan from book 1. This is definitely a story all on it's own, so you don't need to have read book 1.

I loved the characters in this story and the setting. I would just love to spend time there! There's some spice, with a handful of open door scenes, but it's definitely not all spice and more just your typical cute story set in the English countryside with a family run farm and a budding romance with its ups and downs. So cute!

[Gaby · Rating 3 out of 5]

3:5🌟

✨This book had the perfect setting for the start of spring. I loved the main plot and characters in this book and found the writing details of the flowers , where the characters were and feelings addicting.

✨ I really liked both Blake and Daisy. Their initial meeting wasn’t the best but I loved seeing them grow closer when the were both trying to rebuild and figure out their lives. I loved seeing them navigate their journey together as well but I really wish their exes weren’t so heavily involved in the story because I felt like I couldn’t believe in their love as much.

✨It was so fun seeing Willow and Dylan from the previous book and I can’t wait for the next book in this series!!

[Lila Besser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was so much fun! I loved being back at Birch Tree Farms and seeing Willow again! Daisy, Willow's cousin, ran away from her wedding when she realized it wasn't what she wanted, and seeks refuge on the farm. Dylan's friend, Blake, is dealing with heartbreak, seeking solace in the quiet of the farm. The two get thrown into helping organize the event for the Pick-Your-Own event on the farm, and navigate heartbreak, stubborn exes, and a fake relationship that is really so much more! I loved all the characters, and wish I could visit Birch Tree Farm in real life!

[Cassidy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this and I related to both of the MC’s so much as someone that also left her fiance (now many years ago) to refind herself after the control that was happening. Both Henry and Sarah were absolutely insufferable, omg I hated them so much. Personally the only reason this is a 4⭐️ is the amount of spelling mistakes and errors took me out of the story a bit, I think this could’ve gone through another round of editing mainly for spelling and grammar